The present disclosure relates to flexible grips for golf clubs. Currently such grips are compression molded of elastomeric material and may have an elongated raised rib embedded on the exterior of the grip to facilitate visual and tactile orientation of the grip in the user's hands and to enhance the alignment of the club. Heretofore, the rib has been formed by designing a protruding ridge on the inner diameter surface of the grip and adding a corresponding exterior strip of elastomer on the exterior surface. The interior ridge is formed as part of the grip body material. The exterior strip of elastomer is formed of a different elastomer than the body and may have a different hardness, texture, and color to distinguish it from the grip body. When installed over a golf shaft the inner ridge compresses and deforms the elastomer and forms a raised “reminder rib” on the exterior of the grip.
Forming the exterior strip on the grip body requires a compression molding process whereby body material parts are placed in the mold over which is placed the exterior rib strip. The placement of the exterior rib strip must be carefully and precisely controlled as well as the volume of body materials so that when the compression molding sequence occurs, the elevated temperatures and pressures in molding do not displace the exterior rib strip. In this process, it has been found difficult to maintain and control the positioning of the material for the rib during the compression molding. Where the rib is formed of material of a different color than the surrounding material of the grip, movement of the rib material during molding produces an unwanted and distorted configuration of the rib and thus, an unacceptable appearance to the product.
Referring to FIG. 5, the cross-section of a prior art flexible grip of the compression molded type employing a rib is illustrated generally at 1 and has an annular body 2 formed having an exterior rib strip 3 of elastomer disposed in a recess 4 provided in the surrounding elastomeric material which is formed by compression molding for simultaneously curing the exterior rib strip 3 and the elastomeric material of the body 2. The grip 1 is shown assembled on a club shaft 5.
It has thus been desired to find a way or means of providing a rib structure in a flexible golf grip that is more pronounced and less costly and more easily manufactured.